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Open neck

Sometimes made open from neck

This simarre was generally made open from neck to hem, and held collectivelyon thehigh by a sq. brooch ; and the sleeves had been of two varieties, bothfairly tight or else wider and reallylengthy, ending in a degree, however invariably bearing some ornamental border. The girdle undoubtedly slipped to the hips, and the outline of a Florentine gown runs : “ A simarre of brocade fixed with small buttons on bothfacet, the again hanging fairly straight, the girdle being worn in entrance of the gownsolely.” Very fairlyshould have been the cypriane, a robe of French origin which was worn with a excessive belt and had a triangular-shaped opening low on the bodice, a veil masking the bosom, and a fragile ruffle encircling the neck ; the puffed sleeves and the again of the gownhad been slashed. A semicircular cloak was thrown over the shoulders and fixed in entrance, and left open or buttoned from throat to hem. The married girlsselected a sleeveless over-dress, and an extendedpurple or blue cloak, capacious and enveloping, and the widow wore this in black, surmounted by an extended white veil. Caps, veils, and fillets discovered equal favour within the eyes of the Italian, whose fairly hair was as continuously seen certain with satin ribbons as with gold or silver paillettes, or organized spirally, or confined in a caul ; and the horseshoe form of head-dress widespread in England was additionally to be seen in Italy, who borrowed it from France, the place the skirts had been now step by stepturning into narrower and the clothes buttoning straight down the entrance, the skirt and bodice being minimizein a single, and the sleeves invested with a lotrange, being worn tight or unfastened, buttoned or hanging open, displaying in some circumstances the forearm and in others a detailed under-sleeve.

The sleeveless surcoat

The sleeveless surcoat was very fashionable, the higher portion tapering to a small level upon the shoulders, exhibitingthe robe worn beneath, and the skirts of those surcoats had been decked with ermine and emblazoned with the household arms. The artwork of embroidery was cultivated assiduously by the wealthy, whose leisured moments had been spent in plying the needle and silk, to performgadgets which ought to honour and style their apparel.